Ivory Keys
by Wy-chan
Summary: Music can bring up emotion and memories that we cannot escape. But can it bring a family together? Can it repair bonds long since broken? Can it bring back souls that have been lost to sorrow and grief? Rated T for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi, there! Welcome to my story! **

**Every chapter I will be saying what music goes along with the chapter, or what music I listened to while I was writing it. **

**Names-**

**Madison*-Massachusetts**

**Lyn- New York**

**Holly*- California**

**Ash*- Oregon**

**Rayne*- Washington**

**Alice- Maine**

**Winter*- Alaska**

**Pele*- Hawaii**

**Snooki*- New Jersey**

**Austin*- Texas**

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When Alfred walked into his house, he heard almost nothing at first, which was very unusual. It was usually quite loud, considering he had fifty kids. He put his jacket down and walked up the marble steps, following the sound of piano and violin, and into the music room, where he saw ten of his children, Madison was playing the piano, and Lyn was accompanying her on violin. _Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, _Alfred thought almost at once. He and Madi had been taught to play by Arthur a long time ago, before certain events. He had taught Lyn, thinking that she would enjoy playing the piece with Madison. And apparently they did.

They last key was struck, the last note played, and the room erupted in applause. After the applause died down, the first to leave were Pele and Winter. Then Snooki, who was followed by Alice and Austin, so that only Lyn, Madison, Ash, Holly, and Rayne were left in the room with Alfred.

"That was," Alfred paused, trying to come up with a word that could describe what he had felt when he had heard them playing that song, "_amazing._"

"Epic," Ash said in agreement.

"Beautiful," Holly said.

"It was something that cannot be expressed well enough with mere words. Something that reaches into your soul and pulls out deep emotions that were unknown until music was discovered," Rayne said, ever the poet. And Alfred couldn't help but agree with her, she had said what he was feeling in a way he could not say it.

Lyn only smiled softly as she put her violin away, but Madison, who was also smiling, said, "It brings up memories of when things were slower and calmer, yet more chaotic at the same time. It brings up different memories for all of us," her eyes met Alfred's eyes, knowing that it brought up a single memory for them, "yet we don't want to forget the memory it brings up."

"Ah, my children, ever the poets," Alfred said, meeting eyes with Rayne and Madison.

"Poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition," Holly said, "That was Eli Khamarov. I believe he was Russian, though no one knows much about him."

"Well, we must be going!" Holly exclaimed, "We promised Austin that we'd go see that new movie, True Grit, with him."  
"Have fun!" Alfred said as the west coast triplets ran out the door.

"I'm going too," Lyn said, "Alice wants to go shopping."

Alfred nodded as she walked out the door, carrying her piano case. As soon as she was out of sight, Alfred returned his gaze to Madison.

"It's been so long since I've heard that song," He said mournfully, "The last time was before…" Alfred couldn't finish the sentence; for fear that he would start crying.

"I remember," Madison said as she pulled him into a hug. She was as tall as he was, with his same color blond hair down to just below her shoulders. She had blue eyes flecked with green, silver wire-rimmed glasses framing them. He felt her silently shaking, and her tears soaking his jacket. He then realized his face was wet as well, just before a memory came:

_It was sunny outside, blue skies with fluffy white clouds. It seemed almost to perfect. Alfred was in the music room with Madison and Arthur. Madison was on one grand piano, he was on the other, and Arthur had his violin. "One,, two, three, four," Arthur steadily said, and on four they all started playing, Madison 3 octaves higher than Alfred, and Arthur right in between them. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, it was what Arthur had last taught them, and they were practicing for a concert that __Roderich was hosting. Little did they know at that time that they would not be going. For that was the day of the start of Alfred and Madison's fight for independence. That was the last day they would get along with Arthur._

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**AN:**

**Music for This Chapter: Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven**

**So, the names with the asterisks are those names for certain reasons that have to do with their state, or something that was central to their state, in Madison's case. I'll give you a mention if you are the first one to guess it correctly!**

**What'd ya think? Leave a review!**


	2. Why?

**AN: I would like to say thanks to my two reviewers: Knight the Cat and MelodyofStarshine.**

**Music for this chapter: Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri**

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The West Coast trio walked down the curved marble staircase that led into the main hall. They heard the sounds of breakfast coming from the dining room. But that didn't concern them; they had to make sure that the house was clean, because Arthur and Matthew were coming over at 9:00 AM; and it was 8:30 AM. That only gave the 51 residents of the house half an hour.

Arthur walked up the driveway of a large white house with Matthew at his side. The house didn't _look_ dirty. But that was only the outside, he didn't know about the inside.

He walked up to the door and knocked three times. The door was opened almost immediately by Alice. He noticed her quickly glance at the clock, which read nine o'clock exactly.

"Come on in," She said to the two nations and stood aside.

"Thanks, eh," Matthew said to the state, giving her a smile and a nod.

"Yeah, no problem," Alice said as she lead Arthur and Matthew upstairs.

"Do I hear piano and violin?" Arthur asked, one over-sized eyebrow raised.

"It's probably Madi, Lyn, and Alfred practicing," Alice said nonchalantly.

"Mind if I go take a peak?" Arthur asked, stopping.

"Nah, go ahead, Mattie and I'll go see Rayne and Winter," Alice replied, walked down a corridor with Mattie in tow.

Arthur walked to the room where he heard the music coming from. He had recognized the song as soon as he had heard it. He had taught it to Alfred and Madison before they messed everything up. He stood in the doorway, until about half way through the song; Alfred stopped playing on the piano he was on. Madison soon stopped, then Lyn.

"Arthur."

"Alfred. Madison. Lyn."

"Hello, Arthur. I'm to be on my way." Alice said brushing past him after putting her violin away, leaving Alfred, Madison, and Arthur in uncomfortable silence.

"I don't remember the last time the three of us were in the same room as each other," Arthur said, his tone still very formal.

"I do, it was the day the war started," Alfred said, they all new which war he was talking about.

This was too much for Arthur, he lost his composure, "Why did you have to go and fight for independence? Everything would have been so much _easier_ if you two had just stayed a colony!"

"You think living with you was easy? You obviously don't know yourself well enough! It was torture! Fucking torture!" Madison yelled, angrily, tears swimming in her eyes, yet not leaving them.

"Maybe if you had told me instead _of starting a war! _We could have fixed it!" Arthur yelled back, his green eyes a mixture of hatred and longing.

"No you would have done _nothing!_ You wouldn't have cared!" Alfred's angry voice cut in, silent tears streaming down his face.

"T-that's not true!" Arthur yelled back, but even _he_ doubted his answer, not that he would ever admit it.

"You know it is," Alfred said, his tears subsiding, years of hiding his feelings coming in handy and masking his face. After he said this, Madison stormed out of the room, leaving Alfred and Arthur alone together.

Arthur slid down the wall, his face contorted in emotional pain, "Why did this have to happen?"

Alfred didn't answer, just walked away. Leaving Arthur alone, or so he thought, until a small voice came from down the hall, "Arthur?"

When Arthur looked up, he saw the small figure of Alice, running towards him. She sat by him when she entered the music room, and she hugged him, "Are you alright?"

He answered by shaking his head, afraid that if he spoke, he would start crying again.

They sat like that for half an hour, until Matthew found them and dragged Arthur home.

"So, Matthew, what _did_ you do while you were there?" Arthur asked, once he had recovered.

"I'll tell you later, eh?" Mattie replied.

"Okay, and uh, who are you again?" Arthur asked confused.

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**AN: Sorry for the sad chapter, I promise the next one will be happier! **

**So, uh, I need to figure out when each week I'll post a new chapter, but I will, **_**for sure, **_**post a new chapter every week.**

_**Ciao!**_

_**~Wy**_


	3. Gone

**AN: Sorry this took so long! I've been busy and neglecting this story. :/**

**And I lied. It's sad again. xD**

**Music-**

**Europa- Globus**

**Yay! More problems for Alfred to deal with!**

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A shrill scream echoed through the house, waking Alfred up. He quickly ran to the source of the sound, Holly, Ash, and Rayne's room, except only Holly was there, and no one had ever separated the triplets.

"They're gone," Alfred whispered.

Rayne didn't answer; she was crying too hard, the only response she gave was a shaky point at the maple leaves on the two missing girls' beds. Only one person would have left a maple leaf behind.

_Meanwhile…_

"Where is that sodding git? And why is he late for a meeting in his own country?" Arthur asked, to no one in particular, pacing the conference room. Alfred was usually late, but he was never _an hour late _before. He wanted to go and drag Alfred here himself, but Lyn insisted he stayed here to keep everyone under control. Matthew wasn't here either, but Arthur didn't notice.

"We start the meeting now, da?" Ivan, who was beginning to get bored, asked.

"W-well, I don't really want to start the meeting with Alfred gone, if he doesn't come in the next half hour, we'll start," Arthur replied nervously, sparing a glance at the always smiling Ivan.

Just then, the door opened, and everyone looked up expectantly. But it wasn't Alfred standing there, it was Leo, more commonly know as DC.

"Where is Alfred?" Arthur asked with a glare.

"_Busy_," Leo hissed, "so he asked me to come in his place.

"What, he was to full to come to the meeting, so he told _you_ to come in his place?" Arthur hissed out, glaring at the capital.

"Ash and Rayne are gone! Matthew took them! That's why he's not here!" Leo yelled, tears welling up in his eyes, "Would you come if someone took London!"

No one answered that. The room had descended into silence. Everyone was shocked. Except for Ivan, who looked like he had been expecting this. Leo and Lyn both thought that this was suspicious. But Ivan was always acted suspicious.

"Oh," Arthur fined breathed out, sitting down, slowly.

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**CLIFFHANGER!**

**xD I thought it was fitting end to the chapter. Sorry for the shortness. :/**


End file.
